On Tuesday evening, June 12, 2018, the Michigan House of Representatives passed HB 4926, a bill that legalizes online gambling in the State of Michigan. The bill was introduced by Rep. Brandt Iden (R-Dist. 12) on September 12, 2017 and was referred to the House Committee on Regulatory Reform. On December 13, 2017, the committee approved substitute H-3 and recommended passage by the full house.

The full house took the bill up June 12, 2018 and approved another substitute, H-4, before voting 68-40 to pass the legislation. Substitute H-4 adopted provisions to be more closely aligned with the Senate’s version of online gambling (SB 203). As reported by Michigan Radio, Rep. Iden stated: “People in Michigan are already gambling over the internet, but they are doing so at risky and illegal websites. The Michigan websites will have strict state oversight, unlike the illegal and unregulated sites our resident use now, at great risk to their finances and personal information.”

While the House of Representatives has three more days of session (June 19-21) before its summer recess, the State Senate has already adjourned for the summer. While the Senate has one-day sessions on its calendar for July 25 and August 15, it is not likely to take up the bill passed by the House until it reconvenes in early September. The Senate will have to determine whether it wants to pass HB 4926 or modify and pass its own SB 203 to be sent over to the House for passage.